Boulder

An eclectic city with one of the most extensive trail systems in the country, Boulder is surrounded by more than 31,000 acres of recreational open space and nature preserves. The community of nearly 104,000 (including 29,000 students) offers a sophisticated, casual environment where you can enjoy top tier restaurants, music, art, theater and the renowned Pearl Street walking mall. The unique blend of vibrant culture and outdoor fun makes Boulder real estate the most highly sought after homes in Colorado.
Since its incorporation in 1871, Boulder has been known for its history of colorful characters, actions, and ideas. Live music is a staple of bustling outdoor areas, as well as in the many concert halls such as the Boulder Theater, the Fox Theatre, and the classic Macky Auditorium; while the Boulder International Film Festival and Shootout 24 Hour Filmmaking Festival attract film enthusiasts nationwide. Wright Kingdom's Boulder real estate agents can highlight Boulder's many famous landmarks that make us unique.
Boulder was listed by Forbes magazine as the "Smartest City" in 2008 - the University of Colorado boasts a Tier 1 research institution and four Nobel laureates; the National Center for Atmospheric Research , the Colorado Chautauqua and Naropa Institute are among our other well known academic, scientific and cultural organizations. Boulder is home to many major employers such as Google, IBM, and Lockheed Martin; as well as many innovative food and retail companies, and was recently rated the #1 Sports Town in America by Outside Magazine .
Our well-rounded community offers many events that support our international flavor - the Conference on World Affairs , the Bolder Boulder 10K , the Colorado Shakespeare Festival and MahlerFest. Boulder's dedication to environmental awareness also makes us one of the greenest cities in America, and a model city for open space and growth control. Boulder real estate, with significant and consistent value in a unique cultural community, offers a truly distinctive living experience. With such cultural diversity, Boulder real estate has something to offer anyone and everyone.

Learn More About the Boulder Community

The city of Boulder began as a small mining camp on the banks of what became known as Boulder Creek. The first settlers, a party of prospectors led by Thomas Aikins, reached the mouth of Boulder Canyon in the fall of 1858. They called their campsite "Red Rocks" because of the red sandstone cliffs. Friendly contact was made with Chief Niwot and the Arapahoe tribe. The Cheyennes were also indigenous to the area, while other tribes such as the Utes, Kiowas, Comanches and Sioux were occasional visitors.

In January 1859, gold was discovered in the area west of the present Gold Hill community and approximately 12 miles northwest of Boulder. This stimulated the Boulder City Town Company, which was organized in 1859 by the company's first president, A.A. Brookfield, and 60 partners. In 1867, the city of Boulder was assigned as the county seat and Boulder was named after the many unwieldy rocks the original residents had to clear from the land before they could begin construction on their homes.

As a result of a brief Native American uprisings and the decline of the nearby gold mining, the new community sustained several difficult years. However, Boulder was revitalized with the prospects of a new railroad and a university, and the town was incorporated under the Territorial Government. Both the Colorado Central Railroad and the Denver-Boulder Valley Railroad reached the city no more than two years later. It was clear early on that Boulder would hold a long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship as the founding fathers began a tree-planting program.

Arapahoe Ridge High School

Arapahoe Ridge, an alternative school with several options for students to work towards a diploma, and allows attendees to choose one of several fields to begin developing proficiency. The junior and senior years focus on hands-on experience in a particular discipline and the students attend classes at the Boulder Technical Education Center, a facility equipped with the tools for a variety of industries including; automotive technology, banking/service accounting, construction trades, cosmetology, a graphics communication program, and multimedia technology. The TEC Center is a certified vocational school and students graduate with at least one technical certificate. The school also offers the "newcomers" program. This is an ESL program geared towards immigrants and other students in need of extra English training, before bringing them into the normal high school system.

Boulder High School

Founded in 1875, Boulder High School offers high academic standards and a wide variety of programs for students. The high school offers honors courses in nearly every academic subject including 24 separate Advanced Placement courses. The school's location next to the University of Colorado gives students access to the vast resources available at Norlin Library on the university campus. The school has a fantastic video-production program that has sent graduates to celebrated film schools including New York University. Additionally, the school's performing arts programs have a reputation for excellence. The school offers a tutoring system covering all subjects that allows motivated students the individualized instruction they need. The school also offers a diverse ESL program educating students from 30 different countries speaking over 20 languages. The athletics department competes for titles in many sports regularly, and the football team has sent graduates on to play for various Division-IA schools. The school scores very well on CSAP testing and received an "excellent" rating by the Colorado Department of Education.

Fairview High School

True to its name, Fairview High School offers a stunning view of Boulder's foothills, visible from nearly the entire campus. The school has a long record of high academic achievement, sending graduates to prestigious Ivy League schools as well as Berkeley, Stanford, and M.I.T. The school also offers the only International Baccalaureate program in the entire district whose director is a former Columbia University professor. The school offers many Advanced Placement classes, foreign languages, fine arts programs, and high-achieving athletics. The school also provides a daycare program and parenting education for teen parents. The school sends interested juniors and seniors to the Boulder Technical Education Center to receive a wide variety of certifications. The school offers an abundance of extracurricular activities including, but not limited to, chess club, film production club, the volunteer mafia, and the underground republicans of Boulder. The school scores extremely well on CSAP tests and is rated "excellent" by the Colorado Department of Education.

Casey Middle School

Located within walking distance of downtown, Casey Middle School provides students with a dual-immersion Bilingual program at the middle school level. The teachers tailor the course of study for teaching both first and second language students, and they regularly keep office hours available to address any concerns from parents. Casey also offers the traditional middle school educational program in addition to the bilingual curriculum and offers a variety of extracurricular activities as well as Homework Help, Chess League, Hip-Hop Culture Club, and Outdoor Adventures. The school's CSAP scores tend to be lower, though this is likely a result of students not yet proficient in the English language taking an English-language test.

Centennial Middle School

Centennial Middle School is located in North Boulder and presents the Boulder Valley with a focus on cultivating technological skill in students, who have the option to take electives such as Applied Technology, Computer Power Multimedia Productions, and Desktop Publishing Office Aid. Through the school library, students have easy access to the resources of the Internet. The school's website states that the school provides a "strong emphasis on maintaining small class size, interdisciplinary team teaching, and teaming of students" to supplement the educational experience. The school also provides students with safe, anonymous ways to report any troubling concern or conduct from students or teachers and works to "overcome any 'code of silence' that may exist in current student culture." The Colorado Board of Education has given Centennial an "excellent" rating.

Manhattan School of Arts and Academics

As stated on the school website, "Our challenging academic program is very similar to other middle schools in the Boulder Valley School District. Our curriculum, like other BVSD schools, is determined by the Division of Learning Services." The difference between Manhattan and others in the district is that Manhattan offers a program focused on visual and performing arts including theater, instrumental music, and choral music. Students enrolled in the program are given several hours each day learning different aspects of their chosen focus, concluding in an annual Arts Festival to show their talents. Additionally, the school offers extracurricular activities including jazz band, sports, science club, choir, and theater. The Colorado Department of Education rated this school "high" for achievement on CSAP tests.

Nevin Platt & Platt Choice Middle School

Started in 1987, Platt Middle School offers two academic curriculums: one a standard middle school, one an "experiential program." CHOICE, which stands for Cooperative Hands on Integrated and Community Education, is not a separate focus school but a program existing within the school. Children attend multi-age classrooms and have a group of five teachers that teach the primary, core subjects while attending elective courses with the rest of the school. CHOICE students meet daily in small groups to develop teamwork skills, receive individualize assistance, and assess goals for their assigned course of study. The school offers its students a wide variety of electives in addition to the standard curriculum. The school scores very high on CSAP tests, and the Colorado Department of Education gave the school an "excellent" rating.

Southern Hills Middle School

An accomplished and high-achieving middle school with a record of accomplishment for scholastic excellence, Southern Hills students attending this school have recently won regional Quiz Bowl events, science fairs, and spelling bees. The school currently has four winners of the Impact on Learning award, granted annually to only five teachers within the district. Rosalind Hanckel, Southern Hills' Spanish teacher, won the 2002 Colorado Outstanding Spanish or Portuguese Teacher award from the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. The school offers honors classes, a Gifted and Talented program, and a wide array of extracurricular activities for students including many sports and clubs. The school scores very well on CSAPS, and, for several years in a row, has received an "excellent" rating from the Colorado Department of Education.

http://schools.bvsd.org/p12/southernhills/Pages/home.aspx

Summit Charter Middle School

Summit fills a unique niche in the city of Boulder as the only middle school in the district to receive the United States Department of Education Blue Ribbon School Award (the school has received the award twice). As a fully open-enrolled school that charges no tuition, rather than placing students in classes based on age, Summit places students in classes based on proficiency, building an environment that could concurrently involve students from as many as three grade levels. Including one teacher with a Ph.D. from New York University, the school also boasts an accomplished teaching staff with 80% of teachers having post-graduate education. In addition to an accomplished faculty, the students have won many awards; the school's website contains many news articles and letters published about or by students. Summit is a model of a successful charter school and consistently receives the highest CSAP scores in the district.

Chautauqua

Once called "the most American thing in America" by Theodore Roosevelt, the Boulder Chautauqua Park is more than just a recreational space, it's a community paradigm. The park features an auditorium, a Frisbee golf course, 60 cottages, and several trails that take you right up to the foot of the Flatirons. The central lawn is normally filled with Boulderites reading, picnicking, or just hanging out enjoying to beautiful ambiance.

North Boulder

A delightful residential area, removed from the predominantly student population of University Hill. Known for the Ideal Marketplace and its one of a kind Boulder shops, this area is perfect for families looking for a place to settle down.

Viele Lake

A hidden treasure on the southern edge of Boulder, this small lake is encircled by a one mile trail that is perfect for walking or running.

East Boulder Rec Center

The sprawling East Boulder Rec Center offers almost infinite ways to exercise, play, socialize, and relax. Inside is a spacious weight room, a double gymnasium open for basketball and volleyball, and an indoor climbing/bouldering wall. If you're feeling aquatic, you can take advantage of the 25-yard, 8 lane indoor pool, lazy river, water slide, Jacuzzi and steam room. In addition, the center has a dance studio and birthday party/meeting space, making the center a perfect place to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Mount Sanitas

Another spectacular set of Boulder trails that present many options for both adventurous and laid-back hikers. Mount Sanitas is also the site of the sandstone quarry that provided the University of Colorado campus with the rock for some of its most impressive buildings, with many sandstone arches and ponderosas still lining the trails.

Boulder Reservoir

A favorite summer hotspot for Boulderites, the Boulder Reservoir offers one of a kind sandy beaches and plenty of room for boating, fishing, and picnicking. The reservoir is also home to the annual Kinetics Race, an exciting public event with live music in which homemade boats resembling parade floats attempt to cross the reservoir without sinking.

Rocky Mountain National Park

One of the most majestic parks in America, the Rocky Mountain National Park covers over 250,000 acres of Colorado's Northern Front Range, and contains 359 miles of trails, 150 lakes, and 60 peaks over 12,000 feet. Camping is a staple of the park, with a myriad of campgrounds dotting the sprawling landscape; hiking and backpacking trails wind through mountains, streams, and tundra. Fishing, horseback riding, and skiing are just a few of the many other ways to enjoy nature in the park.

Pearl Street Mall

Populated by upscale shops, art galleries, and fine dining, this pedestrian-only outdoor mall is the premiere shopping venue in Boulder. Located in the heart of Downtown, the flower-lined streets are filled with street performers, college students, and live music every weekend. When the sun goes down, Pearl Street and the surrounding area become a nexus of nightlife, with popular pubs, restaurants, and dance clubs.

Pleasant View Soccer Fields

Having hosted numerous national tournaments, such as the Junior National Championship for Rugby, this collection of nine soccer and rugby fields is one of the premiere facilities in the country. Complete with a gorgeous view of the flatirons, the fields showcase a wide variety of sports, from Ultimate Frisbee to CU's own women's soccer team.

Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory

Take a whimsical tour through Colorado's largest tea manufacturer, where up to 9,000,000 bags of tea are made daily. The tour includes a walk through the Celestial Herb Garden, the fragrant rooms where the tea is prepared, and an art gallery showcasing the distinctive paintings found on each box of Celestial Seasonings tea. Finish off the tour with a stop in the onsite cafe for a freshly brewed cup of one of their many affecting varieties of tea.

University of Colorado at Boulder

The flagship university of Colorado, CU-Boulder is home to 28,988 students pursuing over 150 academic programs. The cultural and artistic diversity of Colorado is represented as well, with a state of the art performing art center that presents over 400 events annually. Since its founding in 1877, CU has remained one of the most prestigious universities of the West, and is the only college in the Rocky Mountain region to belong to the Association of American Universities (AAU).

Boulder County Farmers Market

The paramount of any summer in Boulder is the Boulder County Farmers Market, a sprawling bazaar of fresh produce and other organic products. As much a shopping trip as a social event, the market sees thousands of residents and visitors every week.

Leanin' Tree Museum of Western Art

Boulder Beer Company

Colorado's first microbrew and the forty-third licensed brewery in the United States, the Boulder Beer Company was founded in 1979 on a farm in a shack shared with goats. Since then, the company has won numerous awards for its brews, including a gold medal in the 2004 World Beer Cup. The brewery also holds an annual "Goatshed Revival" Homebrew Competition that gives local brewers the chance to have their beer distributed by the company, with proceeds benefiting the Community Food Share, a non-profit organization feeding the community's poor.

Flagstaff Mountain

Flagstaff Mountain sits high above Boulder, offering a breathtaking view of the city, Denver, and the surrounding areas. Many trails and picnic areas intersect the mountain, with structures dating back to the 1930s, including the Summit Nature Center and an outdoor amphitheatre.

Boulder Creek Path

Boulder Creek Path is a wide, multi-use path that follows Boulder Creek for close to eight miles. Accommodating bikers, walkers, and dogs, the path connects the mountains and downtown in one convenient, scenic route.

National Center for Atmospheric Research

NCAR, or the National Center for Atmospheric Research, performs collaborative research in the fields of atmospheric and Earth system science, including environmental science. Many NCAR scientists participated in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, whose work contributed greatly to the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

Redstone Meadery

Mead, or honey wine, has been favored by everyone from Shakespeare to Zeus - if you haven't tried it yourself, Redstone Meadery is the perfect place develop a taste. With numerous varieties of what many claim to be the first fermented beverage, Redstone is a national landmark for this lost art.

Fiske Planetarium

Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery

Built with the mission of preserving that "neighborhood pub" feel, the Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery has earned six gold medals for its beers at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, the world's largest beer festival. Drawing inspiration from the micro-brew scene in Oregon, Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery offers an extensive list of unique handmade brews.

Flatirons Golf Course

Mesa Trail

This six mile long trail follows alongside Boulder's famous Flatirons from Boulder to Eldorado, providing a challenging trek for enthusiastic hikers.

Twenty Ninth Street

29th Street is a shopper's paradise, with an assortment of some of the finest retail destinations in Boulder. The open-air mail offers patrons a sunny walk through both local and national upscale stores, with free Wi-Fi throughout.

Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art

Founded in 1972 by a group of local artist, BMoCA now displays the work of both local and internationally renowned artists. With three galleries and a 100-seat black box theater, the venue is fully equipped to display the artwork currently shaping Boulder's art scene.

Boulder History Museum

Founded in 1944 within the historic Harbeck-Bergheim House, The Boulder History Museum boasts over 35,000 objects of historical significance donated by the general public, including photographs, clothing, and personal artifacts from the 19th and 20th century.

Collage Children's Museum

Dairy Center for the Arts

Feeding off the deep culture of Boulder, The Dairy Center for the Arts provides workshops and classes, as well as professional theater and visual arts exhibits. Founded in 1992 in what was previously a dairy storage and processing plant, the center has since become a pillar in the Boulder art scene for its high quality performances and exhibits.

Heritage Center

The CU Heritage center takes a personal pride and interest in collecting the "material culture and documentary resources illustrative of the history of the University of Colorado at Boulder." Open year round, the Heritage Center offers unique exhibits from CU's past, including a recent celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Shakespeare Festival.

Boulder Theater

Holding a rich history of silent movies and live opera, Boulder Theater now houses events ranging from Johnny Cash to business meetings to community events. Continuous renovations have kept the theater in pristine condition while allowing for many modern updates - the end result is the perfect setting for performances, as well as for E-Town, the nationally syndicated radio show housed within the theater.

Fox Theater

Boulder's Fox Theater has seen a wide variety of owners and uses, from vaudeville to movies to live music, and each one has left a unique, perceivable mark on the theater. The result is a visually stunning building steeped with the distinctive cultural history Boulder is known for. Many famous performers have graced its stage, including Willie Nelson, Dave Matthew's Band, and Snoop Dogg, and its movie theater accommodations are top notch, with luxurious American Bodiform chairs.

Nomad Theatre

From its humble origins in a rented tent behind a liquor store in the summer of 1951, the Nomad theatre company has since become an established landmark of the Arts in Boulder. After an extensive renovation in 1998, the theater now accommodates a wide breadth of events in a modern, state of the art theater that preserves the Nomad's timeless character for a new generation.

Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra

Founded in 1958, the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra is a fully professional orchestra based in Boulder, Colorado. It is the successor to the Civic Symphony Orchestra, and it is directed by Michael Butterman. The Boulder Philharmonic's season includes classical, Pops, and family concert series, as well as an annual "Nutcracker" performance with the Boulder Ballet.

Gateway Park Fun Center

The perfect place to escape with the kids, Gateway Park Fun Center has something for everyone. Go-karts, mini-golf, and a video arcade will keep the young ones occupied, while adults can enjoy the driving range, inline hockey rink, and snack bar. There are also a wide variety of party packages for birthdays and other events.

Flatirons

Boulder's five majestic flatirons are not only nation-wide attractions, but have become symbolic of Boulder itself. The five numbered rock formations (named by pioneer women after the flat, metal irons used to press their clothes) are a popular destination for hikers and rock climbers, as well as those looking to simply enjoy their natural beauty.

Sombrero Ranches

Located in rustic hills of Estes Park, Sombrero Ranches offers visitors a one of a kind journey through the Rocky Mountains on horseback. Since 1958 the ranch has specialized in this enthralling adventure, exactly the way early settlers would have experienced it.

Central Park

Boulder's Central Park offers fishing and facilities for a picnic with a few friends in addition to a band shell, bike route access and convenient placement along RTD routes. The park, true to its name, is centrally located at Canyon Boulevard and 13th Street in the heart of Boulder, Colorado.

Museum of Natural History

From humble beginnings in 1902, under direction from Curator Junius Henderson, the Museum started with only a few fossils and mollusk shells, a small collection of rocks and minerals, and several mounted birds and mammals. In 1909, the University granted the museum a separate University department with a $500 annual budget and only a few years later, Earl Morris began archaeological work for the Museum in 1913.

Today, the Museum employs more than fifty faculty and staff as curators, collection managers, public programmers, designers, instructors, and administrators. The Museum's collection has grown from a handful of objects to more than four million and is the largest natural history collection in the Rocky Mountains.

Haystack Mountain Golf Course

This 9-hole, executive length course is situated along Left Hand Creek, and is perfect for golfers of all skill levels. Established in 1966 by the Ebel family, the course has become known for its peaceful setting and spectacular scenery.

Upstart Crow Theatre Company

A modern home to the classics, the Upstart Crow Theatre Company specializes in performances ranging from Shakespeare to Stoppard. With a commitment to "constantly strives to find and produce those works that speak to the contemporary experience from a historical perspective", each show is a memorable experience.

Long's Iris Gardens

Starting with just a small collection of seeds in 1905, Long's Gardens has maintained its simple charm - a stroll through the seemingly endless lines of fragrant irises will instantly transport you to a simpler time. You can even dig your own irises to take a piece of nature home with you.

Carnegie Branch Library for Local History

Boulder's first public library, this dignified building was constructed in 1907 and has been renovated to preserve its classic beauty. The history continues inside as well, as the Carnegie now acts as a reference branch - inside is a profusion of historical data about Boulder, including genealogical papers, the writings of early settlers, and a database containing over 200,000 images.

An eclectic city with one of the most extensive trail systems in the country, Boulder is surrounded by more than 31,000 acres of recreational open space and nature preserves. The community of nearly 104,000 (including 29,000 students) offers a sophisticated, casual environment where you can enjoy top tier restaurants, music, art, theater and the renowned Pearl Street walking mall. The unique blend of vibrant culture and outdoor fun makes Boulder real estate the most highly sought after homes in Colorado.
Since its incorporation in 1871, Boulder has been known for its history of colorful characters, actions, and ideas. Live music is a staple of bustling outdoor areas, as well as in the many concert halls such as the Boulder Theater, the Fox Theatre, and the classic Macky Auditorium; while the Boulder International Film Festival and Shootout 24 Hour Filmmaking Festival attract film enthusiasts nationwide. Wright Kingdom's Boulder real estate agents can highlight Boulder's many famous landmarks that make us unique.
Boulder was listed by Forbes magazine as the "Smartest City" in 2008 - the University of Colorado boasts a Tier 1 research institution and four Nobel laureates; the National Center for Atmospheric Research , the Colorado Chautauqua and Naropa Institute are among our other well known academic, scientific and cultural organizations. Boulder is home to many major employers such as Google, IBM, and Lockheed Martin; as well as many innovative food and retail companies, and was recently rated the #1 Sports Town in America by Outside Magazine .
Our well-rounded community offers many events that support our international flavor - the Conference on World Affairs , the Bolder Boulder 10K , the Colorado Shakespeare Festival and MahlerFest. Boulder's dedication to environmental awareness also makes us one of the greenest cities in America, and a model city for open space and growth control. Boulder real estate, with significant and consistent value in a unique cultural community, offers a truly distinctive living experience. With such cultural diversity, Boulder real estate has something to offer anyone and everyone.